A dispute involving Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis that has cost tens of thousands of dollars seems set to get more expensive.
The legal dispute relates to an argument about parking in September 2019 that resulted in a written censure of Cr Vandervis by the Dunedin City Council.
He sought a judicial review, but Justice David Gendall dismissed this near the end of last year.
The councillor indicated at the time he might appeal and the Court of Appeal has since confirmed it has a file on the matter.
The appeal was also referenced in a response to a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request by Cr David Benson-Pope.
Costs related to the appeal were listed as not yet known, but the cost to the council of the judicial review was put at $42,372 as of last week.
The cost of handling the original complaint was $14,148.
Cr Benson-Pope asked for the cost to the council of all code of conduct complaints or investigations involving Cr Vandervis over his career. The council was unable to provide that information.
It put the cost of a complaint where Cr Vandervis was found to have shouted at and waved a finger in the face of deputy mayor Christine Garey last year at $25,841.
The council noted code of conduct complaints were made against Cr Vandervis in August 2011, September 2011, November 2013, December 2014 and February 2015.
However, the council did not have an accurate record of costs associated with those complaints.
The council changed the way it recorded costs for code of conduct complaints and investigations in 2019.
Cr Vandervis was a close second in the 2019 mayoralty contest to Aaron Hawkins.
A complaint by Cr Vandervis against Mr Hawkins about disclosure of information cost $12,003.
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Comments
Given that Vandervis' bad behaviour is not how a councillor should behave, when he finally loses this never-ending battle, surely he should foot the bill? It's clearly not part of the job, so why should rate-payers have to pay for this nonsense?
What has happened to Vandervis is text book Alynski tactics plain and simple. It's clear we are living in a post-truth, post-reality society much akin to the pre-Stalin soviet union. This is now known as bioleninism and "Aotearoa" is saturated with it. Do we really want to go down the road of the Weimar republic or Bolshevik Russia, this is what Jacinda and the red and greens want. Green is just a subversive shade of red in political terms. Not expecting this comment to be published by the biased NZ MSM who no longer stand for free speech but appear strive to emulate Pravda as likewise they have been convinced it is ok to lie for the greater good of the State...very telling.
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While I didn't fully understand your comment - I'm a simple person, I needed to google some of the words - I think I got the drift, with you saying good on Cr Lee Vandervis for standing up for his beliefs. The machine expects people to roll over and do what they want to do which is no accountability or procedures. It might be small to start with, but how would people like it if the council takes all people's wages in rates and spends them on pipe dreams, dots and sand pits and has no accountability. The council as a whole needs to be taken to task, I guess in years to come I'll be locked up for saying that against the great ones.
Ratepayers for this assistance, much thanks.
Really mate? Come on Lee, time to stop. You do good work on Council raising challenges to stupid spending and grandiose projects, but this is a distracting side show that is doing you no favours. Let it go and take the high road out of the fight.
So this is what the people who voted him in have done for the city. The only thing he has achieved in his time in council is to turn a $12 parking ticket into thousands of dollars of cost to the ratepayers.
It was bad enough that before he added no value to the city; now he is a financial liability. Ironic that he is the first to rail against excessive spending - but when it's in his interest he doesn't maintain the same moral high ground.
When he is ultimately ruled against, he should be handed the bill for his hubris.
Forget the name of the person or that it is the council. If you or I had been done wrong and you knew you were, would you not want to stand up for what you believe in? And what is right? Or would you just roll over again and again? And let the machine (DCC) steamroll over you? I for one would not roll over, I might have done when younger and have - it is a different story now. Companies and orgs rely on the weak and mis-guided accepting what they say and going away. 2 years ago my 55 inch Sony LCD's screen failed just out of warranty, they offered me a 20% discount on a new TV, nah it was not fit for purpose. I stood up to them and they knew they were in the wrong. I ended up and got a new replacement screen. To roll over and accept what the DCC are doing is accepting and letting them get away with everything they want to time and time again. They need to be held accountable, ( that's that word again) and know that they can't just expect people to accept what is said and roll over. If more people did this, then the DCC would not be out of control and think they can do as they please. BZ Cr Lee Vandervis.
Given the increased cost of rates with the dcc and the orc along with increase in power just on winter time, the increased cost of housing and associated building and construction costs it is simply wonderful to see a councilor who so stands up for excess cost and waste of money to be doing just that. Be a man pay the stupid parking ticket say you are sorry and maybe do some good. Sadly this will not happen and once again the people in Dunedin who cant afford it are the ones penalised the ones he claims to be standing up for. Principles and ethics try them sometime